About Zouk – Family Food Heritage & Zouk at Home
A family food story from Lahore and Punjab to Manchester
Zouk is a family-run halal Indian and Pakistani restaurant and food brand in Manchester, shaped by roots in Lahore and Punjab, Pakistan and nearly five decades of family experience in the British restaurant business.
Our grandfather came to the UK in the 1950s, and our father arrived in the 1960s as an eight-year-old boy. In 1979, our family opened its first restaurant in Bradford. In 2006, two brothers working alongside their father opened the first Zouk in Bradford, followed by Zouk Manchester in 2009. The Bradford Zouk no longer operates; Manchester is the home of Zouk today.
Family recipes and the influence of home cooking
Our mother and grandmothers were major influences on how we think about food, seasoning and hospitality. Their cooking helped shape our understanding of marinades, curries, rice dishes and the balanced use of spice that still influences Zouk today.
Our kitchen also brings together chefs with experience from different regions of India and the wider subcontinent, including Sri Lanka. That means Zouk combines our own Lahore and Punjabi heritage with a wider range of Indian-subcontinent cooking traditions.
Halal Indian and Pakistani food with room for creativity
Zouk was created as a halal restaurant rooted in Indian and Pakistani food, while also leaving room for fusion and creativity. Our menu spans grilled dishes, seafood, snacks, teas, small plates, curries and mains, with Indian-subcontinent flavours sometimes used in unexpected ways.
The founders remain closely involved in the recipes, flavours and way the food should taste. Our aim is bold but balanced food that feels generous, distinctive and unmistakably Zouk.
From the restaurant to Zouk at Home
Our Zouk spice range was created to help home cooks bring some of that restaurant-inspired flavour into their own kitchens. The core range includes Tandoori Masala, Biryani Masala, Garam Masala, Chaat Masala, Piri Piri, Hot BBQ Rub and Pilau Rice Seasoning.
For practical cooking inspiration, visit Zouk Kitchen for recipes, spice guides and comparisons. If you want to explore several flavours together, our Zouk spice tin bundles bring together curated 4-tin and complete 7-tin collections.
From Lahore and Punjab, through Bradford and into Manchester, food has been part of our family story for generations. Zouk at Home is our way of sharing that story beyond the restaurant.
Zouk Tea Bar & Grill is an award-winning, independent restaurant and cookery school based in Manchester. Opened by brothers Tayub and Mudassar Amjad in Bradford in 2006, followed by a 300-seat restaurant in Manchester in February 2009, the concept for the restaurant came following a family holiday in 2006.
Inspired by the variety of food and the stylish settings they had seen on their travels across Morocco and the Indian sub-continent, they came up with the idea of opening a new generation restaurant serving authentic Indian and Pakistani cuisine.
Zouk’s quirky approach to both it’s menu and décor has lead it to become one of Manchester’s most Instagrammable restaurants. Frequented by celebrity guests and local influencers, there is always something new happening at the restaurant for people to share.
Famous for serving up their Indian take on a Sunday roast, Zouk are at the cutting edge of fusion Indian street food and classic British cuisine. Launched by Bez from the Happy Mondays, their tiffin delivery services office buildings and businesses across Manchester, serving up flavour packed, colourful and fun food over lunchtimes.
Passionate about sharing good food and good times, Zouk’s modern take on dining is sure to excite and inspire many home cooks!
The Zouk Product Range
Inspired by Indian and Pakistani cuisine, if you love adventures and discovering new flavours, Zouk’s store cupboard and culinary essentials are right up your street!
Whether you're new to the kitchen or a seasoned home cook, it’s quick and easy to create delicious, authentic Indian dishes at home with Zouk.
Taking inspiration from the restaurant, all our products are presented in quirky, fun packaging to add a splash of colour to your pantry, a dash of mystery to your cupboards and are sure to be a talking point at the dinner table!
There is plenty of inspiration online, with a dedicated recipe vault, you won’t be stuck for ideas and meal times will be an event to look forward to again.
